Here are three underdog fights to watch for at UFC 323.
UFC 323: Payton Talbott vs. Henry Cejudo
Known as one of the most promising prospects in the world’s bantamweight division, Payton Talbott made an incredible recovery earlier this year at UFC 317 after his first professional defeat. In front of almost 20,000 fans, the 27-year-old defeated fellow young up-and-comer Felipe Lima, handily beating the Brazilian on the scorecards.
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While many would expect him to continue his progress up the 135-pound rankings by steadily building his experience in facing off-ranked competition, Talbott is now on the verge of tangling with the current number 10 in the rankings fighter Henry Cejudo at UFC 323.
Considered one of, if not the greatest, male martial arts athlete of all time, Cejudo etched his name in the annals of sports history by becoming the seventh person to become a two-division champion in the UFC. Upon retiring for three years in 2020, “Triple C” returned to the cage at UFC 288, where he lost in a bid for his former title against then-incumbent Aljamain Sterling. Since then, he has lost two more times, dropping a pair of bouts to future bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili and Song Yadong.
For Talbott, teaming up with Cejudo marks a serious step up in competition, as well as becoming the first man he’s ever shared the Octagon with to have a number next to his name. It also brings with it a style that he has struggled with in the past, which is a tough approach to his opponent. As evidenced by his showdown with Raoni Barcelos, the first man to beat him, Talbott struggled to deal with the veteran’s jiu-jitsu, taking him down eight times. Considering Cejudo’s pedigree as an Olympic wrestling standout, the Nevada native could be in for a long night at T-Mobile Arena.
What Talbott does have going for him is that he has a serious advantage in terms of physical differences. In height alone, he has a huge six-inch lead over the previous title holder, along with an eight-foot lead. The wrestling will undoubtedly pay off for Talbott, but if he can manage to keep Cejudo at the end of his striking distance and hold himself up against his shorter opponent, then fans could be in for a monumental surprise at UFC 323.
UFC 323: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van
In the span of exactly three weeks last summer, flyweight juggernaut Joshua Van put together two astonishing back-to-back performances. After a third-round stoppage of Bruno Silva at UFC 316, the 24-year-old quickly booked his next fight for International Fight Week at UFC 317. “The Fearless” earned a main card and met one-time corporate championship challenger Brandon Royval. What followed was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining battles the division has ever seen, with Van earning a narrow unanimous decision victory, but not before both men turned the ball over. 200 good strokes each.
Also fighting at the event was 125-pound gold standard Alexandre Pantoja, who made his fourth title defense by knocking out New Zealander Kai Kara-France. Almost immediately after the match, Van was called in to battle ‘The Cannibal’, with the champion and challenger more than eagerly watching the battle at that point.
By standing out from the crowd as a flyweight in the span of less than a month, Van has become not only a top contender, but also a folk hero among mixed martial arts fans around the world. Undefeated in his last five, the 4oz. The Fight Club product is looking to cap off a great 2025 by wrapping UFC gold around his waist.
However, Pantoja will not make it easy for him, as the Brazilian himself is on a long journey into the winner’s circle, having not lost a turning point since July 2020. He has also noticeably gotten even better each time he defends his belt, evidenced by his flawless victories over Brandon Moreno to secure the belt, Royval, Steve Erceg and Kai Asakura. He has also only fallen to the canvas once in his 17 expeditions to the Octagon, demonstrating a very resilient chin.
Although he is outmatched in experience, Van has one weapon in his arsenal that could make Pantoja’s fifth outing as champion a hellish one: his performance. In six out of nine fights with the organization, he has landed over 100 significant strikes, a feat that has earned him such feats as the highest significant strikes per minute in UFC history at 8.86. With his seemingly endless gas tank, Van Pantoja can overwhelm with non-stop offense at UFC 323, although it is unknown at this point if he can maintain that pace for five full rounds.
UFC 323: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Jan
Petr Yan works his way back up the championship ranks with three straight wins over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo and Marcus McGhee and is now one punch away from regaining his throne in the bantamweight division he briefly occupied. Between him and the belt is none other than one of the best pound-for-pound competitors in the world, and the current ruler of 135 pounds, Merab Dvalishvili. This won’t be the first time the two men have clashed, as the Georgian sensation has defeated the Russian once before at 2023’s UFC Fight Night 221.
On that night in Vegas at the Apex Center, the stats from their first clash told a story of total dominance from Dvalishvili, attempting 49 takedowns, 11 of which he landed. He also positively overshadowed ‘No Mercy’ in the standup department, with a total of 202 strikes compared to his compatriot’s 87. By the time the scorecards were read, Yan’s face looked noticeably battered, leaving no doubt who the winner was before the announcement.
When Dvalishvili won the title himself at UFC 306 in late 2024, Dvalishvili seemed virtually unstoppable. He defended his title three times this year, knocking out a trio of heavy hitters in Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley in a rematch and Cory Sandhagen. Not wanting to take his foot off the gas pedal at any point in his matches, the wrestling phenom leaves his challengers drowning under relentless pressure. If “The Machine” is able to defeat his old foe in their upcoming runback, he will cement his legacy as an all-time great by becoming the first UFC champion to defend his/her title four times in a calendar year.
At UFC 323, Yan is also on a mission to write himself into the history books as the third man to win the bantamweight championship twice, behind only Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw. While the threat of the takedown is high for the underdog, ‘No Mercy’ is by no means terribly outclassed against the champion. With some of the best kickboxing in the entire division, he is currently tied with Cody Garbrandt third most knockdowns in bantamweight history. Delivering a clean shot may prove difficult, but in the blink of an eye the Russian could put a devastating end to the most spectacular championship dynasty the division has ever seen.
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